Process for preparing powdered cleaning and detergent composition

ABSTRACT

A process for incorporating pine oil in a dry, powdered cleaning or detergent composition containing various solid components is provided which comprises first contacting the pine oil with a powdered silica sorbing material whereby the pine oil and the sorbing material form a dry, free flowing, non-caking powder and combining the resulting dry, free flowing, non-caking powder with the other various components to form a dry, free flowing, noncaking powdered cleaning or detergent composition comprising pine oil.

United States Patent Culmone et al.

[ 51 Sept. 30, 1975 PROCESS FOR PREPARING POWDERED CLEANING AND DETERGENT COMPOSITION Inventors: Vincent A. Culmone, Clifton;

Thaddeus J. Kaniecki, Pompton Plains, both of NJ.

Assignee: American Cyanamid Company,

Stamford, Conn.

Filed: July 9, 1973 Appl. No.: 377,679

US. Cl. 252/539; 252/131; 252/163; 252/259.5; 252/383; 252/385 Int. Cl. Cl 1D 3/065 Field of Search 252/539, 163, 131, 383, 252/385, 259.5; 106/308 Q References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1970 Shaffer 252/2595 X 3,634,338 1/1972 Laugle et al. 252/539 X Primary Examiner-Benjamin R. Padgett Assistant ExaminerE. Suzanne Parr Attorney, Agent, or FirmCharles J. Fickey 8 Claims, N0 Drawings PROCESS FOR PREPARING POWDERED CLEANING AND DETERGENT COMPOSITION Generally stated, the subject matter of the present invention relates to a process for preparing an improved free-flowing powdered detergent or cleaning composition. More particularly, it relates to a method for the preparation of free-flowing powdered cleaning or detergent compositions, both abrasive and nonabrasive, which contain pine oil. The process involves incorporating in the composition of a highly pourous sorbing material on which the liquid has been sorbed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional powdered cleaning compositions often tend to cake and become non-free flowing and lumpy.

. In commercial cleaning preparations the tendency of various materials to cake under adverse atmospheric conditions becomes a serious problem. Various means have been used to overcome this tendency by incorporating additives such as chalk, talc, silica, and the like.

These attempts have been successful to a limited degree.

It sometimes becomes desirable to include liquid materials in such dry powder cleaning formulations. These are especially useful in cleaning compositions intended for hard surfaces; however, inclusion of a liquid in any substantial quantity in a cleaning composition is materially limited since the composition has a tendency to cake and become non-free flowing.

The present invention represents the culmination of a long series of investigations, conducted largely by the The present invention is based on a method for incorporating substantial quantities of pine oil in dry, powdered cleaning and detergent formulations. This includes both conventional cleaning powders to be used as dispersions in water; i and powdered scouring cleanser compositions used where aminimum amount of water is involved.

The method involves first the preparation of a combination of pine oil on a sorbing material followed by incorporating the resulting product into the cleaning formulation. Thus, by the use of the proper sorbing material a relatively large amount of pine oil may be incorporated in the cleaning formulation. The use of a powdered silica sorbing material in the process of the invention is not to be confused with the use of such materials or related materials in powdered cleaning compositions for the sole purpose of maintaining a freeflowing condition and to prevent, caking. The use here of such sorbing materials affords a means of incorpoinventors, directed to finding a process for incorporating large quantities of pine oil in dry powdered cleaning or detergent compositions.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a process for incorporating pine oil in dry powdered cleaning or detergent compositions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process for preparing free flowing non-caking dry powdered cleaning or detergent compositions comprising pine oil.

Generally then, it is an object of this invention to provide a process for preparing an improved free flowing, non-caking, dry powdered cleaning or detergent composition comprising pine oil.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be realized by practice of the invention, the objects and advantages being realized and attained by means of the methods, processes, instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

THE INVENTION To achieve the foregoing objects and in accordance with its purpose, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention relates to a process for incorporating pine oil in a dry powdered cleaning or detergent composition containing various solid components which comprises first contacting the pine oil with a powdered silica sorbing material whereby the pine oil and the sorbing material form a dry, free flowing powder and combining said resulting dry, free flowing powder with the other various components to form a dry, free flowing, non-caking powdered cleaning or detergent composition comprising pine oil.

rating substantial quantities of pine oil into'the cleansing composition.

From time to time his desirable to include various liquid components in cleaning compositions including pine oil. However, the addition of pine oil in substantial quantities is not possible because of caking tendencies. The use of pine oil in cleaning and detergent compositions' has thus been limited to liquid formulations.

The sorbing materials useful in the process of the invention include various types of finely divided and high surface area silica and metal silicates in various forms. These include for example porous calcium silicates, available commercially, as Micro-Cel E and S'ilene EF, fumed silicas available commercially as Cab-O-Sil; silica gels available commerically as Syloid Silicas and fume silicon dioxide available commercially as Silanox The particle size of these sorbing agents may vary from about 0.007 to 0.05 or more microns, while surface area may vary from about 95 to about 600 or more square meters per gram. A preferred sorbing agent is synthetic calcium silicate available commercially as Micro Cel E with a surface area of about 95-180 square meters per gram.

' or dispersed in water, the pine oil is released as a liquid EXAMPLE I A cleaning composition intended for use by dissolving or dispersing in water and thereupon applied for the cleaning of hard surfaces, was prepared using the materials listed below. The pine oil was first sorbed onto synthetic calcium silicate with a high surface area resulting in a composition containing about two parts pine oil per 1.25 parts of the calcium silicate. This powder was then incorporated with other conventionally used components of a cleaning composition to give a formulation with the following composition:

Weight "/1 Sodium scsquicarbonate (FMC grade 800) 64.00 Sodium metasilicate (Mesto beads 2048) 5.00 Soda ash (Stauffer No. 13*17 l.ite) 15.05 Sodium dodecylhcnzcne sullonate (Richonate P-85) 1.00 Sodium glucoheptonate (AC Belzak) 5.00 Borax, anhydrous 1.70 Protective Colloid Polymer (Gantrez AN-l49, GAF) 5.00 Pine Oil (Union Camp Unipine 80) 2.00 Synthetic calcium silicate (Micro-Cel E) 1.25

The resulting composition was a free-flowing, powder, with a non-caking characteristic under various atmospheric conditions, and which when added to water evidenced the results of the pine oil being released from the sorbed material.

EXAMPLE ll Using a procedure similar to that described in Example l, parts of pine oil was sorbed into 12.50 parts of synthetic calcium silicate. This was used to prepare a solid cleaning composition of the formulation:

Weight 7: Sodium sesquicarbonate 44.50 Sodium metasilicate 3.90 Soda ash 9.30 Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 0.70 Sodium glucoheptonate 3.90 Borax, anhydrous 1.30 Protective Colloid Polymer (Gantrez AN-l49. GAP) 3.90 Pine oil 20.00 Synthetic Calcium silicate (Micro-Ce] E) 12.50

The resulting composition was a non-caking, free flowing powder.

EXAMPLE Ill Using a procedure similar to that described in Example l, 20 parts of deodorized kerosene was sorbed into 12 parts of synthetic calcium silicate. This was used to prepare a solid cleaning composition of the formulation':

Weight '7. Sodium Sesquicarbonate 42.00 Sodium Tripolyphosphate 21.00 'l'risodium phosphate, anhydrous 3.00 Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 1.50 Deodorized kerosene 20.00 Synthetic calcium silicate (Micro-Ce] E) 12.50

The resulting composition was a non-caking free flowing powder.

EXAMPLE IV Using a procedure similar to that described in Example I, 35 parts of pine oil was sorbed into 15 parts fumed silica. This was used to prepare a solid cleaning composition of the formulation:

Weight 7: Pine oil 35.00 Fumed Silica (Cab-O-Sil M-5) 15.00 Soda ash 21.00 Potassium Tripolyphosphate 25.00 Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 4.00

The resulting composition was a non-caking, free flowing powder.

EXAMPLE V A scouring cleanser composition for scouring hard surfaces using a minimum of water was prepared using the materials as listed below.

Using a procedure similar to that described in Example l, 2 parts of pine oil was sorbed into 1.25 parts synthetic calcium silicate. This was used "to prepare a solid cleaning composition of the formulation:

Weight 71 Chlorinated trisodium phosphate 15.00 Silicon dioxide 73.75 Synthetic calcium silicate (Micro-Ce] E) 1.25 Pine oil 2.00 Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 2.00 Sodium tripolyphosphatc 6.00

The resulting composition was a non-caking, free flowing'powder.

EXAMPLE VI A scouring cleanser composition for; scouring hard surfaces using a minimum of water was prepared using the materials as listed below.

Using a procedure similar to that described in Example l, 5 parts of pine oil was sorbed into 3.25 parts amorphous silica gel. This was used to prepare a solid cleaning composition of the formulation:

Weight 7: Soda ash 5.00 Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 2.38 Silicon dioxide 83.32 Pigment 0.05 Sodium metasilicate, anhydrous 1.00 Pine oil 5.00 Amorphous Silica Gel (Syloid 244, W. R. Grace, 3.25

fine particle size amorphous silica gel) The resulting composition was a non-caking, free flowing powder.

We claim:

1. A process for incorporating pine oil in a dry, powdered cleaning or detergent composition containing various solid components which comprises first contacting the pine oil with a powdered silica sorbing material having a particle size of from about 0.007 to 0.05 microns and a surface area of from about 95 to about 600 square meters per gram, the amount of pine oil being up to about two times by weight as the amount of silica, whereby the pine oil and the sorbing material form a dry, free flowing, non-caking powder and combining the resulting dry, free flowing, non-caking powder with the other various components to form a dry, free flowing, non-caking powdered cleaning or detergent composition comprising pine oil.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the silica sorbing material is calcium silicate.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the pine oil is present in a concentration of about 2 percent by weight of the total composition.

4. The process according to claim 2 wherein the calcium silicate is present in a concentration of about 1.25

the process of claim 1. 

1. A PROCESS FOR INCOROPORATING PINE OIL IN A DRY, POWDERED CLEANING OR DETERGENT COMPOSITION CONTAINING VARIOUS SOLID COMPONENTS WHICH COMPRISES FIRST CONTACTING THE PINE OIL WITH A POWDERED SILICA SORBING MATERIAL HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE OF FROM ABOUT 0.007 TO 0.05 MICRONS AND A SURFACE AREA OF FROM ABOUT 95 TO ABOUT 600 SQUARE METERS PER GRAM, THE AMOUNT OF PINE OIL BEING UP TO ABOUT TWO TIMES BY WEIGHT AS THE AMOUNT OF SILICA, WHEREBY THE PINE OIL AND THE SORBING MATERIAL FORM A DRY, FREE FLOWING, NON-CAKING POWDER AND COMBINING THE RESULTING DRY, FREE FLOWING NON-CAKING POWDER WITH THE OTHER VARIOUS COMPONENTS TO FORM A DRY, FREE FLOWING NON-CAKING POWDERED CLEANING OR DETERGENT COMPOSITION COMPRISING PINE OIL.
 2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the silica sorbing material is calcium silicate.
 3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the pine oil is present in a concentration of about 2 percent by weight of the total composition.
 4. The process according to claim 2 wherein the calcium silicate is present in a concentration of about 1.25 percent by weight of the total composition.
 5. The process according to claim 1 wherein kerosene is substituted for pine oil.
 6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the silica sorbing material is fumed silica.
 7. The process according to claim 1 wherein the silica sorbing material is amorphous silica gel.
 8. A cleaning or detergent composition produced by the process of claim
 1. 